...but this must be the one the requester had in mind:


NOBODY KNOWS YOU WHEN YOU'RE DOWN AND OUT
As sung by Dave Van Ronk on "...and the tin pan bended and the story ended..." (Smithsonian Folkways, 2004)

Standin' on a corner, singin' the blues,
Pockets full of empty, holes in my shoes,
Chompin' on the butt of a ten-cent cigar,
Choppin' out the changes on a beat-up guitar,
I've sung this song before; singin' it again,
Those dear dim days of way back when,
Before the good-time Charlies left me flat.
If you like the music, drop a dime in the hat.

But once I led the life of a millionaire,
Spendin' my money; I didn't care.
Takin' my friends out for a good time,
I'm buyin' high-priced liquor, champagne, wine,
When I began to fall so low,
I didn't have a friend, no place to go.
If I get my hands on a dollar again,
I'm gonna hold onto it till George Washington screams.

'Cause nobody knows you when you're down and out.
In your pocket, not one penny,
And your friends, you haven't any,
But as soon as you get back on your feet again,
Then you'll find your long-lost friends.
It's mighty strange, without a doubt.
Nobody knows you when you're down and out.

Mmm—when you're down and out,
Mmm—not one penny,
And your friends, you haven't any.
Mmm—never felt so low.
Nobody wants me round their door.
Mmm—without a doubt.
Nobody knows you when you're down and out.
I mean, no gal can use you when you're—
When you're down and out.